Refrigerator shelf



June 24, 1958 v. G. SHARPE REFRIGERATOR SHELF 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Oct. 8, 1956 INVENTOR. Ver/os 6. Sharpe BY z His A Homey June 24, 1958 v. G. SHARPE REFRIGERATOR SHELF Filed Oct. a, 1956 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Ver/os 6. Sharp 8 His Afforney United States Patent REFRIGERATOR SHELF Verlos G. Sharpe, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application October 8, 1956, Serial No. 614,627

13 Claims. (Cl.'312351) This invention relates to a refrigerator cabinet and particularly to a shelf arrangement therefor.

I am aware of the fact that others have provided swingably or rotatable shelves in refrigerator cabinets having a food storage compartment therein of substantially rectangular form in horizontal cross section. However such shelves have had at least one of their sides so greatly cut away or omitted, to permit swinging of the shelf out of a compartment, as to be impractical in use because of the waste of valuable food storage space in a refrigerator. 'Some have provided a smaller auxiliary stationary shelf adjacent the omitted curved side of a swinging shelf in the rear portion of a food compartment of a refrigerator cabinet to augment the shelf supporting surface of such swingable shelves. Thisfood supporting or storing arrangement is objectionable be-v ment therein which is substantially rectangular in hori&

zontal cross section, is due to the fact that others have deemed it necessary to provide an axis point for such rotary shelves within the confines of a refrigerator cabinet in which the shelves are located. This of course restricts the area within a food storagecompartment which a rotary shelf may occupy if it is to be mounted for swinging movement outwardly of a rectangularly shaped compartment. 7

An object of my invention is to provide an improved interior arrangement for a refrigerator cabinet so as ,to increase the accessibility of food products stored or supported on shelves therein.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved combined sliding and rotating shelf within afood storage compartment of a refrigerator cabinet,

A further object of my invention is to provide an improved shelf for a refrigerator cabinet which "can be moved part way out of a rectangularly shaped food ,storage compartment in the cabinet and yet occupies or extends across a maximum of the horizontal cross sectional area of the compartment.

A still further object of my invention is to provide an improved shelf for the food storage compartment of' a refrigerator cabinet which is slidable and simultane In carrying out the foregoing objects it is a more specific object of my invention to provide means for limiting movement of a one-piece slidable androtatable shelf outwardly of a food. storage compartment of a refrigerator cabinet and to arrange the limiting means so as to be releasable whereby the shelfcan be detached from ice the cabinet and from the compartment thereof for clean ing and other purposes.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, wherein a preferred form of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of a household refrigerator cabinet having a food supporting shelf constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention located in a compartment thereof;

Figure 2 is an enlarged horizontal cross sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and showing in plan my improved shelf arrangement;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 3--3 of Figure 2 showing the shelf supported on opposed track members;

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 4--4 of Figure 2 through a stationarily mounted shelf supporting track member showing a stop thereon;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 55 of Figure 4 showing another view of the stationary shelf track member; I

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 66 of Figure 2 through a pivotally mountedshelf supporting track member;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 6 showing another view of the pivoted shelf supporting track member;

7 Figure 8.is a sectional view similar to Figure 2 on a reduced scale showing the shelf moved part way out of the food compartment in the refrigerator cabinet; and

Figure 9 is a sectional view similar to Figure 8 and" shows the shelf in a removed position relative to the food compartment.

In order to illustrate my invention I have shown in Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings a household refrigerator cabinet generally represented by the refer-.

ence numeral 10. ,Cabinet 10 includes an outer metal shell 11 and an inner metal liner 12 having insulated material disposed therebetween. The. insulated walls of cabinet 10 surround a food storage compartment 14 with in the cabinet. The insulated cabinet walls .are'polyg onally arranged, as distinguished from a circular walled refrigerator, to provide a rectangular shaped food compartment which is more practical for maximum. food storage space and wherein my'invention is particularly adaptable; Outer shell 11 extends downwardly below' the insulated bottom wall of food compartment 14 and .i .defines walls of a machine compartment in the lower portion of cabinet 10. I A refrigerating' system is associated with cabinet 10 and includes 'a refrigerant translatingdevice (not shown) located in the machine compartrnent and an evaporator. 15 mounted in food compartment 14 for cooling the interior thereof. An open,-

ing in the cabinet front wall provides access to the food storage compartment 14 and a suitably insulated door 17, hingedly mounted upon cabinet 10, normally closes the food compartment access opening. Conventional.

to obtain the advantages of a rotary shelf in acircular refrigerator and to provide an arrangement wherein a combined sliding and rotating shelf will occupy substantially all of the cross sectional area of a food compart-I .jnent which is rectangularly shaped in horizontal cross Patented June 24, 1958 section. In attaining these advantages and distinguishing the present invention from sh elf arrangements which are slidable only or rotatable only outwardly of a food compartment it is ,desire d to point out that the combination of sliding and simultaneously rotating my shelf is of major'importance in providing a shelf capable of ,occupying substantially all of the cross sectional area of a rectangularly shaped food compartment. This com bination,. particularly in conjunction with utilizing an, axis point for a curved sided shelf that is located a substantial distance beyond the boundary or outside the refrigerator cabinet, permits the food supporting surface of a shelf to be broadened'whereby only an imperceptible space is left between the curved side of a shelf-and an upright wall of the food compartment in which the'shelf is mounted. This imperceptible space is not objectionable from the standpoint of food storage'capacity in a compartment because the minute space may be occupied by an upwardly extending outwardly inclined wall of a food receptacle supported upon the rear portion ofthe shelf adjacent the curved side thereof as is illustrated by arrangements wherein a shelf is slidable outwardly of'a compartment and thereafter rotated or is simultaneously slid and rotated about an axis located withinlthe confine or boundary of a cabinet. Refrigerator cabinet shelves are usually reticulated to permit cool, airto pass: therethrough and around food products stored thereon, there above, or therebelow. However, for sake of clarity in illustrating and describing the present invention I show the refrigerator shelf unreticulated and since it is of a onepiece stamped sheet metal character anygdesired design of reticulations may be provided inltliefoodfsupporting surface thereof.

Referring now ,again to 'thedra wings and particularly to Figures'Zand 3 thereof it will be noted that my onepiece sheetmetalshelf 20 is providedwith 'an upstanding rolled-over rim 21 which extends continuously from the front of the shelf around a curved sid'e22, a straight back" side 23 and anotherstraight side 24there0f. The'front of shelf 20 is provided with a flange havinga raised hand ho1d".or handle 27 thereon preferably adjacent one side of the shelf. Theside 22 of shelf 20 is'curved about anarc beginning at the front of 'th'ef'shelf "and ex tending to the back 23 thereof. Arcuately curved side 22 of shelf 20 has its axis located butsidethe boundary of cabinet 10 and in fact it can 'be'disposed at any point beyond the confine of cabinet 10 as is desired. This point of axis is designated by the cross-A and dot-dash radius line B in Figure 8 of the drawings. .An elongated preferably molded plastic track member 31 is stationarily mounted by screws or 'the like to an uprightside wall of i compartment 14' adjacent its access opening. This mem- 60 and an integral'cove'r portion 33 over track portion 32 ber 31 includes a horizontal ledge or track portion 32 which has an opening therein adjacent the rear thereof. A lever 34 is pivotally mounted on member 31 as at 36 and has its enlarged end 37 normally biased by a spring 38 downwardly into the space between ledge 32 and cover portion33. The end 37 of lever 34 forms or provides a stop means for limitin'gmovement of shelf20 outwardly of the food compartment 14. Member 31 is also provided with an integral portion 39 depending from the cover portion 33 at the front thereof to form a cam means which when shelf 20 is'slid causes a second pivoted shelf supportingtraek member to swing about its pivotal mounting as will hereinafter be described. ,A second elongated preferably molded plastic track member 41 is hingedly secured, adjacent the access opening of compartment 14, to the side wall of this compartment opposite the side wall to which traclg member 31 is stationarily mounted. Member 41 also includes a horizontal ledge or track portion 42 and an integral cover portion 43 over track portion 42 and the exlges of both portions 42 and 43 thereof are tapered inwardly toward the side wall of compartment 14, upon which member 41 is mounted,

. from their front to their rear end. Member 41 has integral hinge pins 44 thereon that lit into looped portions 45 at one end of a hinge Wing 46 secured by screws or the like to the side wall of compartment 14 opposite the side wall thereof to which member 31 is mounted. Thus track member 41 is swingable relative to or inwardly of the wall of compartment 14 upon which it is pivotally mounted. A coil spring 47 surrounds a hinge pin 44 with its one end abutting the compartment wall, upon which member 41 is mounted, and has its other end bearing against a lug 48 integrally formed on member 41. Coil spring 47 normally biases member 4.1 in a direction inwardly of the upright compartment wall to facilitate swinging of this shelf supporting track member when a shelf supported thereon is moved. A shelf 20 is supported within compartment 14 on the opposed members 31 and 41 with its food supporting surface slidably resting on'the trackportions 32 and 42 andwith the rim 21 thereof being located immediately below the covers 33 and 43 respectivelyas shown in Figures 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 of the drawings so as to prevent tilting of the shelf. "By reference to Figure 8 it will be seen that the axis of the radius of the curved side 22 of shelf 20 is somewhere outside the boundary of cabinet 10.

Having described the construction of my shelf arrangement and thesupport of shelf 25) within food compartment 14 of cabinet 101 will now proceed to explain the manner in which it is slid and simultaneously rotated part way out of the compartment whendoor 17 is opened. Assume that shelf 20 is in its normal position within comof an operator and a horizontal pulling force is applied thereto. This pulling force slides shelf 29 forwardly of compartment 14 and at the same time rim 21. on the shelf engagesthe means or integral depending portion '39 This means 39 causcs,'whlle shelf 20 is being slid forwardly, member 41 to swingahout its pivotal mounting, pins 44 and hinge wing loops 45,

of track member 31.

relative to and inwardly of the compartment side wall upon which member 41 is mounted. Swinging of member 41, while portion 39 of track member 31 engages the rim21 of shelf 20, rotates the shelf simultaneously with sliding thereof about the axis A (see Figure 8) located beyond or outside the boundary of cabinet 10.

Continued simultaneously sliding and rotating of shelf 20 moves same part way out of compartment 14 whereupon the stop means, end 37 of lever 34, engages a part of the shelf rim 21 at the rear side 23 of the shelf to limit this outward movement of the shelf 20 relative to compartment 14. It is to be noted, by reference to Figure 8 of the drawings, that door 17 need not be.

opened into a full 90 position relative to the front of cabinet 10 to simultaneously slide and rotate shelf 20 part Way out of compartment 14.

shelf from compartment 14. 'When it is desired to remove shelf 20 for inspection or cleaning the door 3.7 is

swung about its hinged mounting into a full open position relative -to the front of cabinet 10 (see Figure 9). While door 17 is opened to the 90 position the end of lever.34 opposite-its enlarged end 37 is pusheddown against the force of spring-38, to elevate its end 37 out of the pathof movement of rim 21 along the rear side 23 of shelf 20. The shelf 20'can then be detached from the track members 31 and 41 and removed from compartment 14 as shown in Figure 9 of the drawings. To reposition shelf 20 into the compartment in supported relationship upon the track members 31 and 41 this removal operation is merely reversed. Y a I It should be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a noveland improvedshelf arrangement in a refrigerator cabinet. By providing a shelf with one side having an arcuate curvature whose axis is beyond or out side the boundaryof the refrigerator cabinet .and by simultaneously sliding and rotating the shelf about such axis point A, in addition to rendering foods supported on the shelf readily accessible, also increase the food supporting area of a shelf in a rectangularly shaped compartment to the maximum and thereby reduce toa minimum waste space in the compartment. .My arrangement retains the feature of removing a :shelf from the food compartment even though means is provided to limit movement of the shelf part way out of the compartment. The simultaneous sliding and rotating shelf arrangement herein disclosed is simple in construction and inexpensive to produce. e T y g While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a'preferred form, his to be understood that other forms might be adopted, as may come within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed 'is as follows: i t t 1. The combination with a cabinet having a compart-, ment therein provided with an access opening and a door normally closing saidopening'which comprises, a shelf, opposedmeans for slidably supporting said shelf at two sides thereof within said compartment, one of said supporting means being stationary and the other opposed supporting means being. swingable, the side of said shelf supported by said 'stationary' means "being curved about an archaving its axis point located outside the boundary of said cabinet, said shelf being, when a forceris appl-ied thereto, slidablepart way out of said compartment through its access opening While said door is open, and means on said stationary supporting means responsive to the sliding movement of said shelf for swinging said swingable supporting means whereby to rotate the shelf about said outside axis point simultaneously with the sliding thereof.

'2. In combination, a cabinet having walls forming a I compartment therein, said compartment being provided with an access opening in a wall thereof, a door normally closing said access opening, a shelf in saidcabinet, a track member at two opposed walls of said compartment slidably supporting said shelf therein, one of said track members being stationarily mounted on one of said op- Y posed compartment walls and the other of said track members being pivotally mounted on the other of said opposed compartment walls, the side of said shelf atsaid stationarily mounted track member being curved about an are having its axis located outside the boundary of said cabinet, said'shelf being, when a force is applied tionarily mounted track member being curved about an: are having its axis located outside the boundary'of said cabinet, said shelf being, when a force is applied thereto, slidable alongsaid track members part way out of said compartment through its access opening while said door is open, and means on said stationarily mounted track memberengagable by saidcurvedside of the shelf for swinging said pivoted track member relative to the compartment wall upon which it is mounted'whereby'said shelf is simultaneously rotated about said'axis with the sliding thereof. t

4. In combination, a cabinet having walls forming a compartment therein, said compartment being provided with an access opening in a wall thereof, adoor normally thereto, slidable along said trackmembers part way out of said compartment through its access opening while said door is open, and means rendered effective by the sliding movement of said shelf for causing the shelf to rotate about said axis simultaneously with the sliding thereof.

3'. In combination, a cabinet having walls forming a compartment therein, said compartment being provided with an access opening in a wallthereof, a door normally closing said access opening, a shelf in said cabinet,a track member at two opposed walls of said-compartment slidably supporting said shelf therein, one of said track mem- .bers being stationarily mounted on one of said opposed compartment walls and the other of said track members being pivotally mounted on the other of said opposed compartment walls, the side of said shelf at said staclosing said access opening, a shelf in said cabinet, a track member at two opposed walls of said compartment slidably supporting said shelf therein, one of said track members being stationarily mounted on one ofsaid opposed compartment walls and the other. of said track members being pivotally mounted on theother of said opposed compartment Walls, the side of said shelf at said stationarily mounted track member being curved about .an are having its axis located outside the boundary of said cabinet, said shelf being, when a force is applied thereto, slidable along said track members part, way'out of said compartment/through its access opening while said door is open, means rendered effective by the sliding movement of said shelf for causing the shelf to rotate about said axis simultaneously with the sliding thereof, and means for limiting movement of said shelf outwardly of the compartment to said part way movement thereof.

5. The combination defined by claim 4 wherein the limiting means 'is releasable and the shelf is removable from the compartment through its access opening. I

6. In combination, a cabinet having walls forming a compartment therein, said compartment being provided with an access opening in a wall thereof, a door normally closing said access opening, a shelf in said cabinet, a track member at two opposed walls of said compare ment slidably supporting said shelf therein, one of said track members being stationarily mounted on one of said opposed compartment walls and the other of said track members being pivotally mounted on the; other of said opposed compartment wallsQthe side of said shelf at said stationarily mounted track member being curved about an arc having'its axis located outside the boundary of said cabinet, said shelf being, when a force is applied thereto, slidable along said track members. part wayout of saidcompartment through its access opening whilesaid door is open, means rendered effective by the sliding movement of said shelf for causing the shelf to rotate about-said axis simultaneously with the sliding thereof, and stop means on said stationarily mounted track member engageable by-said shelf for limiting movement of said shelf outwardly of the compartment to :said part way movement thereof, said stop means beingshiftable relative to said stationary track member out of. the path of movement of said shelf whereby the. shelf is removable from said compartment through its access opening.

7. In combination, a cabinet having walls forming a compartment therein of substantially rectangular form in horizontal cross section, said compartment having an access opening in an upright wall thereof, a door hingedly mounted on said cabinet at one side of said compartment access opening and normally closing same, a one-piece shelf in said cabinet extending from said access opening to the rear wall of said compartmentand continuously from one side to the other side walls thereof, a horizontally elongated track member pivotally mounted on the side wall of said compartment adjacent the hinged mounting of said door, a horizontally elongated track member stationarily mounted on the opposite side wall of said compartment, said track members slidably supporting said one-piece shelf within said compartment, the side of said shelf supported by said stationarily mounted track membeing, when a horizontal force is applied thereto, slidablealong said track memberspart way out of said compartment through its access opening while said door is openpand means rendered effective by the sliding movementofsaid shelffor causing the shelf to rotate about said axis simultaneously with the sliding thereof.

8. In combination, a cabinet having walls forming a compartment therein of substantially rectangular form in horizontal crosssection, said compartment having an access opening in an upright wall thereof, a door hingedly mounted on said cabinet at one side of said'compartment access opening and normally closing same, a one-piece shelf in said cabinet extending from said access opening to the rear wallof said compartment and continuously f fQm one side to the other side walls, thereof, a horizontallyrelongated track member pivotally mounted on the side wall of said compartment adjacent the hinged mounting of said door, a horizontally elongated track member stationarily mounted on the opposite side wall of said compartment, said track members slidably supthe side wall of said compartment adjacent the hinged mounting of'said door, a horizontally elongated track member stationarily mounted on the opposite side wall of said compartment, said track members slidably sup porting said one-piece shelf within said compartment, the side of said shelf supported by said stationarily mounted track member being curved about an are having its axis located outside the boundary of said cabinet, said one-piece shelf being, when a horizontal force is applied thereto, slidable along said track members part way out upon which it is mounted whereby to rotate said shelf porting said one-piece shelf within said compartment, the

side of said'she lf supported by said stationarily mounted track member being curved about an are having its axis located outside the boundary of said cabinet, said onepiece shelf being, when a horizontal force is applied thereto, slidable along said track members part way out of said compartment through its access opening while said dooris open, and means on said stationarily mounted track member engageable by said curved side of the shelf for swinging said pivoted track member relative to the compartment wall upon which it is mounted'whereby said shelf is simultaneously rotated about ,said axis with thesliding thereof p i 9. In combination, a cabinet having walls form iii g a to the rearxwall of said compartment and continuously v from oneside to theother, side walls thereof, a horizontally elongated track member pivotally mounted on r the sidewall of said compartment adjacent therhin ged mounting of said door, a horizontally elongated track. member stationarily mounted on the opposite side wall of said compartment, said track members slidably supporting said one-piece shelf Within said compartment, the

side of saidshelf supported by said stationarily mounted about said axis simultaneously with the sliding thereof, and means for limiting movement of said shelf outwardly of the compartment to said part way movement thereof.

11. In combination, a cabinet having walls forming a compartment, therein of substantially rectangular form in horizontal cross section, said compartment having an access opening in an upright wall thereof, a door hingedly mounted on said cabinet at one side of said compartment access opening and normally closing same, a one-piece shelf in said cabinet extending from said access opening to the rear wall of said compartment and continuously from one side to the other side walls thereof, a horizontally elongated track member pivotally mounted on the side wall of said compartment adjacent the hinged mounting of said door, a horizontally elongated track member stationarily mounted on the opposite side wall of said Icompartment, said track, members slidably supporting said one-piece shelf within said compartment, the side of said shelf supported by said stationarily mounted track member being curved about an are having its axis located outside the boundary of said cabinet, said one-piece shelf being, when a horizontal force is applied thereto, slidable along said track members part way out of said compartment through its access opening while said door is open, means rendered effective by the sliding movement of said shelffor causing the shelf to rotate about said axis simultaneously with the sliding thereof, means on said stationarily mounted track member engageable by said curved side of the shelf for swinging said pivoted track member relative to theicompartment wall upon which track member being curved about an arc havingits it thereto, slidable alo ng said trackmcmbers part way out ofsaid compartment through its access opening while it is mounted whereby to rotate said shelf about said axis simultaneously with the sliding thereof, means for limiting movement of said shelf, outwardly of the compartment to said, part .way movement thereof, and said last named means beinglreleasable wherebysaid shelf is removable from said compartment through its access opening.

said door is open,.means rendered effective by the sliding movement of said shelf for causing the shelf to rotate about said axis simultaneouslvwith the sliding thereof, and means on saidstationarily mountedtrack member en'gageable by saidcurved side of the shelf for swinging said pivoted tra'clrmember, relative to the compartment wall upon which it is mounted Jwhereby'to shelf in said cabinet extending from said access opening to the rearwall of said COIIIPZlIlITJEDf and continuously from one side to the other side walls thereof, a horizontally' elongated track member pivotally mounted on d 12. The combination with a cabinet having a compartment therein provided with an access opening and a door normally closing said opening which comprises, a shelf, means for mounting said shelf within said compartment, one side only of said shelf being curved from a point adjacent the front thereof toward its back about an are having its axis located outside the boundary of said cabinet, said mounting means including a stationary means supporting said curved side of the shelf for sliding movement outwardly of said compartment when said door is a as" cabinet having wallsfor'minga opened, and said mounting means also including a means both pivotally and slidably supporting the side of said shelf opposite its curved side for causing the shelf to be rotated simultaneously with sliding thereof about said outside axis.

13. The combination with'a cabinet having'a compartment therein provided with an access opening in the front thereof and a door hingedly mounted on the cabinet for horizontal swinging movement normally closing said opening which comprises, a shelf, means for mounting said shelf within said compartment, one side only of said shelf remote from the hinged mounting of said door shelf occupies the major portion of the horizontal cross sectional area of said compartment, said mounting means" including a stationary means on the side of said cabinet opposed to the side thereof upon which said door is mounted supporting said curved side of the shelf for sliding movement outwardly of said compartment when said door is opened, and said mounting means also including a means on said cabinet at the hinged side of said door both pivotally and slidably supporting the side of said shelf opposite its curved side for causing the shelf to be rotated simultaneously with sliding thereof about said outside axis.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,074,546 Hartman Mar. 23, 1937 10 2,092,430 Stratton Sept. 7, 1937 2,558,602 Atchison June 26, 1951 

